Two arrested in leopard skin seizure case

Forest department officials have arrested two persons in connection with the seizure of a leopard skin on November 23 from a cave in a forest near Lunduruguda village of Bijapur panchayat under Chandrapur block in Odisha’s Rayagada district.

The two arrested are Salman Praska (39) and Hanak Praska (35) Lunduruguda village.

Both were forwarded to court after being arrested by Forest department officials on Saturday.

Both claimed that while they were passing through the forested area near their village they had found a dead leopard on the foothills of Kangah hills.

Later they skinned the animal and after drying the skin they had kept the hide in a cave to sell it on finding a prospective buyer, they added.